The Fox show's producers admitted on Thursday that they had "incomplete information" when they told contestants Gabe Okoye and Brittany Mayti that they guessed a question wrong on Monday night's premiere, causing the duo to lose $800,000.

Advertisement

Okoye guessed that Post-it Notes were sold in stores before the Sony Walkman and the Macintosh Computer, persuading his girlfriend to wager most of the $880,000 that remained from the $1 million they started with.

Fox told them their answer was wrong, claiming the Sony Walkman hit shelves a year earlier than the Post-it, in 1979 (the Macintosh Computer hit stores in 1984).

But four days later -- after viewers questioned the network's research throughout the week -- Fox admitted they were wrong and invited the 25-year-old and his girlfriend back to the show.

The miffed contestants haven't decided if they will accept the offer.

"To go through that again -- maybe to lose again -- that's a lot of stress," Okoye told The New York Times.

The show's executive producer, Jeff Apploff, initially stood by the Walkman answer. In a statement released on Wednesday, he said Fox had spoken to the maker of Post-its, 3M, who said their product was not sold in stores until 1980.

But a day later, Apploff acceded that the information from 3M was "incomplete" after viewers proved him wrong.

"The product was originally tested for sale in four cities under the name 'Press 'N Peel' in 1977, sold as 'Post-its' in 1979 when the rollout introduction began and sold nationwide in 1980," " he said in the new statement.

Despite the network's error, Apploff said the question was not a "deciding" factor in the game, which is the reason Fox is not paying back Okoye and his 23-year-old girlfriend.